A study by the Henry Ford Hospital has found that the risk of dying from malignant melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, is reduced by people seeing their doctor regularly.

The researchers found that the risk decreased by about 70% in patients who had at least one visit to their specialist or family doctor.

"This study is important because it's not about having health insurance or having access to care. It's about tapping into that care," explains Melody Eide, M.D., the study's lead author."We know that people are always going to have struggles in their lives. They're going to have unreliable transportation, children that they're caring for, copays that are too expensive to pay. What this study suggests is that these types of barriers may impact your prognosis for cancer if they impede your ability to make your medical care a priority."

Researchers also found that when people visit their specialist prior to the diagnosis of melanoma, the risk of dying may be reduced by 90%.

"This suggests that these patients who do better may be more engaged in their care or have less outside demands distracting from their care," Dr. Eide says. "It's not just about having insurance and having a doctor you see, it may be about being invested and an advocate for your own health. We found that regardless of their cancer stage at diagnosis, these patients who saw more specialists and had compliance with their fasting lipid panels and other screenings had a better prognosis. This may suggest a role for the patient in improving their health by being engaged and prioritizing their care."